Apparatus for driving fasteners

Abstract

The present driver for fasteners such as nails, screws and the like is provided with a separator member operatively located between the ejector channel and a fastener supply magazine. The separator member takes up a fastener arresting position in which the separator member reaches between the shafts of two fasteners and a retracted position in which the separator member releases a fastener for movement into the ejector channel. The separator member cooperates with a holding device which holds a fastener in the ejector channel after release by the separator member and prior to the driving stroke. The holding device may comprise two permanent magnets. The separator member has a tip which reaches into the ejector channel to different extents depending on the adjustment of an adjusting device for the separator member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A driving apparatus for driving fasteners having shafts into a work piece, said apparatus being able to receive fasteners loosely slidable relative to each other in a row in the guide channel of a magazine, comprising housing means, fastener driving means in said housing means, said fastener driving means comprising driving rod means and ejector channel means, said driving rod means being movable in said ejector channel means between a rest position and a driving position, said apparatus further comprising magazine and guide channel means operatively connectable to said housing means for supplying fasteners loosely slidable in a row from said magazine and guide channel means into said ejector channel means, separator means operatively arranged relative to said magazine means and said ejector channel means, said separator means including a separator member having a tip movable for extending into and retracting the row of fasteners between a fastener stop position for holding back the row of fasteners from the ejector channel means and a fastener releasing position for releasing a fastener into the ejector channel means, said apparatus further comprising holding means so positioned relative said ejector channel means and relative to said separator means as to hold a fastener released by said separator member in said ejector channel means, and position adjusting means operatively connected to said separator member for manually adjusting the spacing of said separator member tip relative to said ejector channel means thereby to accommodate different spacings between fasteners. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said separator member has a longitudinal axis, and wherein said separator member tip is located off center relative to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, further comprising support means, said separator member being operatively held for rotation in said support means. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said support means form a chamber for said separator member which is axially and rotatably movable in said chamber, said separator member further comprising pin means (36) extending out of said chamber, and locking groove means on said chamber for holding said pin means in different adjusted positions. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising pneumatic impact cylinder means operatively arranged for pneumatically operating said driving rod means, pneumatic separator cylinder means for pneumatically operating said separator member, and channel means operatively pneumatically coupling said impact cylinder means and said separator cylinder means so that said cylinder means are actuated in a timed alternating sequence with each other. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said channel means comprises air reservoir means for storing compressed air to effect said alternating sequence.